The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for automatically slicing meat items such as bacon bellies in order to provide a draft of slices which have a total weight that substantially equals a target weight. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for slicing a substantially continuous flow of items, preferably meat items such as bacon bellies, by a system including an arrangement whereby the speed by which each individual item is fed into a slicer is determined so that on-weight slicing is achieved. The system includes determining width and thickness data for each individual item and controllably feeding the particular item into a slicing apparatus in accordance with precise conditions so that a specific target weight for a draft of slices is attained while staying within ranges of optimal slice count and slice thickness. In addition, a strapping station can be provided upstream of the slicing station in order to remove a less-desirable longitudinal edge of each item; in the case of bacon bellies, this edge is one having a very high fat content.
When treating products during food processing operations, it is at times needed to slice a bulk item into a plurality of slices. A well-known example in this regard is the slicing of bacon bellies into drafts of bacon. Typically, the draft is sold according to a total packaged weight. Bacon bellies have long been considered to be a non-uniform commodity; and as such, slicing of bellies into on-weight packages (such as one-pound packages) consisting of a discrete number of slices has been considered randomly successful. A typical approach that is used in the industry for compensating for this random success rate is using make-weights (such as one-quarter slices or one-half slices) which are manually added to a draft of slices. This is a well-accepted current method of bringing individual bacon drafts up to weight specifications. Inasmuch as it is important to avoid short weighting, it is often the case that an added quarter slice or half slice will bring the draft weight above the target weight, thereby resulting in loss of value to the producer because the drafts are sold as a product of a given, target weight, rather than according to the actual total weight of slices or partial slices. Often, in order to avoid the chance of selling an underweight package, the processor will add an extra slice or slice portion to a package.
Another aspect of sought-after uniformity for sliced bacon products and the like is to have each individual slice be of substantially the same thickness. It is, for example, generally undesirable to provide a packaged bacon product which has slices that vary in thickness, or for that matter in shape and/or size, to any significant extent. It is typically acceptable, however, that slice thickness can vary from package to package, provided the slice thickness remains within a range of suitable thicknesses.
Prior art patents such as Hensgen U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,083 generally suggest a system in which bacon is pressed into a rectangular shape and weighed. This patent suggests measuring three rectilinear dimensions thereof, and electrical signals are obtained therefrom in order to adjust the number and thickness of the slices to be cut. Antonissen U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,044 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,475 propose systems in which computers are programmed with functions corresponding to the non-linear weight distribution of a bacon slab to be cut in order to control the feed means in accordance with the derived anticipated weight distribution of the product. These proposals include using anticipated weight distribution data to control the feed rate to a slicer.
Also, it is generally known that a certain degree of uniformity can be achieved by pre-sorting of bellies or the like according to selected weight ranges. This type of weight sorting typically does not account for bellies that might be of the same weight but are of a different topography. A slice from a very thick belly or from a thick portion of a belly will generally weigh more than a slice of the same thickness from a thin belly or thin belly portion. Typically, slicing devices do not fully account for shape irregularities from belly to belly, nor do they typically consider differences in the density of bacon bellies and the like.
It has been found that, by proceeding in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to achieve custom slicing of each belly and the like so that the slices formed from that belly provide a draft of slices which totals a target weight. For a one-pound draft of bacon, for example, the target weight would be one pound. In addition, each individual draft will typically have slices of substantially equal thickness, and the number of slices and slice thickness will fall within a range of desired values.
In summary, the present invention includes an apparatus and method that is of a so-called smart system type whereby the operating apparatus and method are tailored according to the particular dimension and density parameters of each individual bacon belly and the like that is sliced thereby. These parameters are monitored for each individual bacon belly as it moves through the system. Data thus collected are used to control the rate of feed of each particular belly into a slicer in accordance with its actual dimension and density parameters. Included is a dimensioner assembly that collects width and thickness data which are used in developing topography data for each individual bacon belly and the like. A control assembly receives these and other data, including weight information for each particular belly or the like, in order to determine the rate at which that particular belly is to be fed into a specific slicing mechanism having a known slice timing sequence. Positive movement drive means feed each individual belly at the determined rate into the moving blade of the slicer. A plurality of slices are then collected as a draft, each draft being at the target weight, irrespective of belly topography and density. In this manner, the portion of each bacon belly or the like which makes up the draft of slices is sliced in accordance with its own specific parameters. In addition, when desired the apparatus and method include a feature whereby excess fat portions of bacon bellies are removed in accordance with a particular feature of each belly, for example, whether it be a right-hand belly or a left-hand belly.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for achieving slicing of items into on-weight groups or drafts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method which automatically slices the substantially continuous stream of items such as meat items including bacon bellies, the slicing being tailored to specific characteristics of each item in the flow of items.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for automatically collecting the dimensions of each one of a flow of sliceable items such as bacon bellies and using that data in determining the feed rate into a slicing blade which is needed in order to achieve a plurality of slices having a target total weight.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method whereby, during slicing of pressed bacon bellies, each belly will be sliced at a feed rate to provide slices of substantially equal thickness which have a combined weight totalling a target value such as one pound.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved slicing method and apparatus including a side strapping operation wherein a fat portion of each bacon belly is removed prior to slicing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method wherein belly slicing into drafts of bacon slices is accomplished with improved efficiencies and minimization of waste to achieve significant increases in the quantity of drafts of bacon slices obtained from a stream of processed pork bellies.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method of slicing bacon drafts wherein there is a minimization of any need to manually correct draft weights.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for slicing bacon bellies at higher line speeds.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.